Depression During Adolescence

• What is adolescence?

• What are the diagnosis, causes and characteristics of depression in adolescence?

Humans are living beings that develop from the moment they first open their eyes to life, and their development continues for many years. During this development process, people go through various periods and there is a consensus that the period of adolescence between the ages of 15 and 25 is very important in their development. In adolescence, which is an intermediate period in the transition from childhood to adulthood, individuals quickly transition to most of the biological and psychological characteristics that will accompany them throughout their adult lives. All the child's organs grow, he grows taller, he gains weight, his face shape changes, etc. Due to the rapid change in body hormone distribution, adolescents have to cope with the changes occurring in their bodies, as well as the confusion of psychological emotions and thoughts.

Depression is a feeling of depression, sadness and need that lasts for a certain period of time. It is a disorder that causes a slowdown in all kinds of physical and mental activities. In general, these feelings arise as a result of various negative events, but not every negative event is followed by depression. In depression, this situation continues for a long time and is severe enough to affect the individual's daily life. Depression is seen in one in every five people and varies from region to region. The symptoms of depression are as follows; Loss of interest in the environment and events, lack of energy, inability to enjoy things that were previously enjoyable, sleep disorders, depression, pessimism, sadness, slowdown in psychomotor intellectual activity, decrease in activity efficiency, guilt-worthlessness ideas, indecision, inability to focus, attention, memory is in the form of difficulty.

Depression is one of the most important psychological problems experienced in adolescence. The most studied factor in the causes of depression in adolescence is genetic factors. In addition, it can be said that environmental factors, negative life events and biological factors also cause the emergence of depression during adolescence. As a result of the studies conducted, depression disorder It has been determined that one-fifth to half of the adolescents with this disorder have a family history of mental disorders. The adolescent's family and social environment are the most influential factors in the development of depression. If the family and social environment of an adolescent who is genetically prone to depression makes positive contributions to the adolescent, it is highly likely that the depression will be overcome to a minimum. As a result of the research conducted, it was determined that adolescents generally experience more conflicts with their mothers. It has been observed that conflicts within the family generally arise due to studying, jealousy between siblings, intergenerational conflict and economic problems. It has been reported that adolescent depression is largely associated with psychosocial parental/familial risk factors, and is also associated with economic difficulties and poverty, stressful life events, family disharmony, parental psychopathology and domestic violence. Additionally, the incidence of depression is higher in children of depressed families. Adolescence is a process in which radical changes occur in biological and physical characteristics. The reason why the development in question suddenly occurs to the young person is that the young person is caught unprepared for this process, which may cause him/her to feel helpless and alone in getting through this process. Therefore, preparing, informing and supporting the young person for this process is very effective in getting through adolescence without any problems. Puberty may start late in some young people. In order for young people not to think of this situation as a problem, they should be informed that this situation is quite normal and that some young people may enter puberty late. Otherwise, this situation may cause anxiety disorder in young people, and at a more advanced level, this anxiety disorder may pave the way for depression.

 

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